View source for Stendal

{{short description|Town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany}}
{{hatnote group|{{other uses}}{{distinguish|Stendhal}}}}
{{Infobox German location
|type              = Stadt
|image_photo       = Stendal Petrikirche Marienkirche 2011-09-17.jpg
|image_caption     = September 2011 view over Stendal with the St. Nicholas Church
|image_coa         = DEU Stendal COA.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|52|36|N|11|51|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan        = Stendal in SDL.png
|state             = Sachsen-Anhalt
|district          = Stendal
|elevation         = 31
|area              = 268.02
|postal_code       = 39551–39596
|area_code         = 03931
|licence           = SDL
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 15 0 90 535
|divisions         = 33
|website           = [https://www.stendal.de/ www.stendal.de]
|mayor             = Bastian Sieler<ref>[https://wahlergebnisse.sachsen-anhalt.de/wahlen/bmbm/index.html Bürgermeisterwahlen in den Gemeinden, Endgültige Ergebnisse], [[Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen-Anhalt]], accessed 10 November 2022.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2022&ndash;29
|party             = 
}}

'''Stendal''' ({{IPA|de|ˈʃtɛndaːl|-|de-Stendal.ogg}}), officially the '''[[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic City]] of Stendal''' ({{langx|de|Hansestadt Stendal}}), is a [[town]] in [[Saxony-Anhalt]], [[Germany]]. It is the capital of the [[Stendal (district)|Stendal District]] and the unofficial capital of the [[Altmark]] region.

==Geography==
[[File:Stendal Aerial.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of Stendal]]
Situated west of the [[Elbe]] valley, the Stendal town centre is located some {{convert|125|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of [[Berlin]], around {{convert|170|km|mi|abbr=on}} east of [[Hanover]], and {{convert|55|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of the state capital [[Magdeburg]]. Stendal is the seat of a University of Applied Sciences ({{Lang|de|[[Fachhochschule]]}}) and preserves a picturesque [[old town]] including a historic market and several churches. The nearby village Uchtspringe is home to a psychiatric rehabilitation clinic.

=== Divisions ===
The town Stendal consists of Stendal proper and the following 18 ''Ortschaften'' or municipal divisions:<ref name=Hauptsatzung>[https://www.stendal.de/datei/anzeigen/id/20082,1214/ablatt18_37_hauptsatzung.pdf Hauptsatzung der Hansestadt Stendal], November 2018.</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
*Bindfelde
*Borstel
*[[Buchholz, Saxony-Anhalt|Buchholz]]
*[[Dahlen, Saxony-Anhalt|Dahlen]]
*[[Groß Schwechten]]
*[[Heeren]]
*[[Insel, Saxony-Anhalt|Insel]]
*Jarchau
*[[Möringen]]
*[[Nahrstedt]]
*[[Staats, Saxony-Anhalt|Staats]]
*Staffelde
*[[Uchtspringe]]
*[[Uenglingen]]
*[[Vinzelberg]]
*[[Volgfelde]]
*Wahrburg
*[[Wittenmoor]]
{{div col end}}

==History==
A settlement named ''Steinedal'' in the Eastphalian ''[[Balsamgau]]'' of [[Duchy of Saxony|Saxony]], then a possession of [[St. Michael's Church, Hildesheim|Saint Michael’s Abbey]] in [[Hildesheim]], was mentioned in a deed allegedly issued by Emperor [[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry II]] in 1022. However, the entry has proven to be a 12th-century forgery, as the original document contained no such record. The fortified [[German town law|town]] near the Elbe crossing at [[Tangermünde]] was actually founded and granted [[Magdeburg rights]] by the first [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] margrave [[Albert the Bear]] about 1160.

The parish church of St Mary's was first mentioned in 1283. Stendal quickly prospered as a centre of commerce and trade; it received city walls about 1300, the citizens joined the [[Hanseatic League]] in 1358 and purchased the privilege of minting from the Brandenburg margraves in 1369. A [[Latin school]] is documented from 1338. In 1456 the [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]] elector [[Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick II Irontooth]] founded a convent of [[Augustinian nuns]], which today is the site of a museum. In 1502 his descendant Elector [[Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg|Joachim I Nestor]] married Princess [[Elizabeth of Denmark, Electress of Brandenburg|Elizabeth of Denmark]] at Stendal. Several churches, the town hall and the two remaining city gates show Stendal's wealth in the period.

The Stendal citizens turned [[Protestant Reformation|Protestant]] in 1539, with the reformator [[Konrad Cordatus]] serving as [[Superintendent (ecclesiastical)|superintendent]]. In the 1680s and 1690s, [[Waldensian]], [[Electoral Palatinate|Palatine]] and [[Switzerland|Swiss]] religious refugees settled in the town.<ref>{{cite book|last=Muret|first=Eduard|title=Geschichte der Französischen Kolonie in Brandenburg-Preußen, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Berliner Gemeinde. Aus Veranlassung der Zweihundertjährigen Jubelfeier am 29. Oktober 1885|year=1885|location=Berlin|language=de|page=267}}</ref> For centuries part of the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]], Stendal with the Altmark region passed to the [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]] [[Province of Saxony]] after the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. A [[Prussian Army|Prussian]] garrison town since the 17th century, it hosted the [[10th (Magdeburg) Hussars]] regiment from 1884.

Stendal was the site of a [[Luftwaffe]] airfield in World War II, which had been the site of the first German ''[[Fallschirmjäger (World War II)|Fallschirmjäger]]'' training school from 1936; the boxer [[Max Schmeling]] was trained as a paratrooper here in 1940/41. The town suffered from [[Strategic bombing during World War II|strategic bombing]]. Stendal was hit by 10 air raids, and more than 300 civilians died when Röxe, a residential area in the southern part of the town, was devastated by bombs.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.volksstimme.de/sachsen-anhalt/angriffe-in-der-region-570893 | title=Angriffe in der Region }}</ref> The Cathedral and various historical buildings were heavily damaged by bombs. In April 1945, the aerodrome served as starting place of the ''[[Sonderkommando Elbe]]'' unit, only a few days before the local authorities surrendered to the US Army. On May 4, the commander of the Wehrmacht [[12th Army (Wehrmacht)|12th Army]], General [[Maximilian von Edelsheim]], signed the capitulation document at the Stendal town hall. In July 1945, Stendal was handed over to Soviet occupation.

From 1949 until [[German reunification]] in 1990, the town belonged to [[East Germany]], part of [[Magdeburg (Bezirk)|Bezirk Magdeburg]] from 1952. Until 1994, the Stendal barracks served as home base for a riflemen division of the Soviet [[2nd Guards Tank Army]]. In 1974 the construction of the [[Stendal Nuclear Power Plant]] was begun north of the town, but abandoned  after reunification. In 2009 the Stendal citizens voted for the prefix ''Hansestadt'' ("Hanseatic City").

On 1 January 2010, the town Stendal absorbed the former municipalities [[Buchholz, Saxony-Anhalt|Buchholz]], [[Groß Schwechten]], [[Heeren]], [[Möringen]], [[Nahrstedt]], [[Staats, Saxony-Anhalt|Staats]], [[Uchtspringe]], [[Uenglingen]], [[Volgfelde]], and [[Wittenmoor]]. On 29 April 2010, it absorbed [[Vinzelberg]], and on 1 September 2010 [[Dahlen, Saxony-Anhalt|Dahlen]] and [[Insel, Saxony-Anhalt|Insel]].<ref>[https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Namens-Grenz-Aenderung/2010.html Gebietsänderungen vom 01. Januar bis 31. Dezember 2010], [[Statistisches Bundesamt]]</ref>

==Education==
{{Main|Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences}}
[[File:Campus Stendal.jpg|thumb|right|Part of the campus in Stendal]]
The Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1991 and has around 50 study programmes taught at three departments in Magdeburg and two departments in Stendal. There are approximately 130 professors with around 3,700 students in Magdeburg and 1,800 in Stendal.<ref>[https://www.h2.de/no_cache/en/the-university.html Website - University of Applied Sciences]</ref>

==Main sights==
[[File:StendalTangermünderTor2022.jpg|thumb|Tangermünde Gate]]
[[File:Stendal Rathaus 15 Jh Ensemble aus Gerichtslaube Gewandhaus und Corpsfügel vor Pfarrkirche St. Marien Foto Wolfgang Pehlemann DSCN2455.jpg|thumb|St. Mary's Church and City Hall]]
There are various well-preserved historical buildings in Stendal, e.g., the ''Tangemünde Gate'', a medieval city gate dating from 1220 and ''Uenglinger Gate'' built in the 15th century.<ref>Karl Baedeker GmbH: ''Deutschland 2000'', p.97. Ostfildern 2000</ref> The Powder Tower (''Pulverturm'') which was built around 1450 is a former defence tower of the medieval city wall. [[St. Nicholas Church, Stendal|St. Nicholas Church]] was built in 1423-1467 and heavily damaged by bombs in 1945. Reconstruction was started in 1946, interrupted several times and completed in 2013.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eurob.org/item/stendal_dom/ | title=Dom St. Nikolaus, Stendal }}</ref> The City Hall in the Market Place where a [[Roland (statue)|statue of Roland]] can be seen was built in the 14th century. ''St. Mary's Church'' with its two towers measuring 84 metres in height was inaugurated in 1447, and its altar dates from 1471.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.stendal-tourist.de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/marienkirche | title=Tourist-Information der Hansestadt Stendal: Marienkirche }}</ref> ''St. Jakobi Church'' in the northern part of the historical centre was built 1311-1477. ''St. Petri Church'' built at the end of the 13th century is the oldest church in Stendal. ''Breite Straße'' with many well-preserved medieval houses is the main street of the old city centre.

===Theatre of the Altmark===
The area has a theatre named Theater der Altmark.  It was founded in 1946 and has always had a particular involvement in youth and children's theatre.  Theatrical performances and dance events are staged, as well as concerts, conferences and meetings.

===Winckelmann Museum===
The Winckelmann Museum<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080918065454/http://www.winckelmann-gesellschaft.de/winckelmann-museum.htm Winckelmann Museum]</ref> is named after [[Johann Joachim Winckelmann]], the founder of classical [[archaeology]]. Its holdings include biographical documents, works, designs and diagrams as well as [[Greece|Greek]] sculptures or casts, along with other small artworks from antiquity. Since summer 2003 the museum has been the owner of the world's biggest Trojan horse. With its size of 15.60 m high, 13 m long, 9.50 m wide and its weight of 45 tons it offers a beautiful view over Stendal. Exhibitions are held relating to archaeology and the history of art from the 18th and 19th centuries; there is also a modern art museum.  The museum is the seat of the Winckelmann-Gesellschaft (the Winckelmann Society).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080920020640/http://www.winckelmann-gesellschaft.de/winckelmann-gesellschaft.htm Winckelmann-Gesellschaft]</ref> In addition, the museum has exhibits relating to the history and cultural history of the city of Stendal and of the Altmark dating from the prehistoric period through the area's early history right up to the present.  There are exhibits pertaining to the Hanseatic League, [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art]] and local archaeological material.

===Fire Brigade Museum===
The town also has the ''[[Landesfeuerwehrmuseum]]'' (''Fire Brigade Museum''), showing the development of fire fighting and protection from the leather bucket to modern fire engines.

===Other===
[[Image:Rolandstendal1.jpg|thumb|The [[Roland (statue)|Roland statue]] in front of the Town Hall]]
Stendal is also part of the Altmark cycle path. Information and maps about this cycle path can be had for free from the tourist information office.

==Transportation==
[[Stendal station]] is the most important [[Interchange station|interchange]] and rail hub in the north of Saxony-Anhalt. Located on the [[Berlin–Lehrte railway]] and the parallel [[Hanover–Berlin high-speed railway]] line, it is regularly served by [[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)|Intercity]] and [[Intercity-Express]] (ICE) trains. Many ICE trains stop in Stendal. Berlin can be reached within 40 minutes and [[Hanover]] within 50 minutes.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.landkreis-stendal.de/de/stadtportraets/stendal-kurzportrait.html | title=Stendal - Alte Hansestadt und Stadt der Backsteingotik }}</ref>

A direct connection to the German [[Autobahn]] network is planned with the extension of the [[Bundesautobahn 14|BAB 14]] from Magdeburg to [[Schwerin]].

The nearest inland harbour (River Elbe) is in [[Tangermünde]] about 15 kms from Stendal.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Stendal is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerstädte|url=https://www.stendal.de/de/partnerstaedte.html|website=stendal.de|publisher=Stendal|language=de}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Grenoble]], France
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Lemgo]], Germany
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Puławy]], Poland
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Svitavy]], Czech Republic

==People== 
*[[Johann Joachim Winckelmann]] (1717–1768), archaeologist and art historian.<ref>{{Cite EB1911 |first1=James |last1=Sime |author1-link= James Sime |first2=John Malcolm |last2=Mitchell |wstitle=Winckelmann, Johann Joachim |volume=28 |page=707|short=1}}</ref>
*[[Johann Christian Dieterich]] (1722–1800), publisher
*[[Rudolf Dulon]] (1807–1870), theologian and revolutionary
*[[Leo August Pochhammer]] (1841–1920), mathematician
*[[Otto Schoetensack]] (1850–1912), paleoanthropologist
*[[Richard Zeckwer]] (1850–1922), composer
*[[Max Ebert]] (1879–1929), prehistorian and professor
*[[Irina Korschunow]] (1925–2013), writer
*[[Kurt Liebrecht]] (born 1936), footballer
*[[Wilfried Klingbiel]] (born 1939), footballer
*[[Gerd Gies]] (born 1943), politician, prime minister of Saxony-Anhalt
*[[Heinz-Ulrich Walther]] (born 1943), figure skater
*[[Carola Hornig]] (born 1962), rower 
*[[Marcus Faber]] (born 1984), politician

===Associated with the town===
*[[Stendhal]] (1783–1842), French writer; he lived near Stendal in 1807–08 as an official of the Napoleonic [[Kingdom of Westphalia]]. According to general belief, he used the alias ''Stendhal'' from 1817 in homage to Johann Joachim Winckelmann.<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Beyle, Marie Henri | volume= 3 | pages = 838&ndash;839 |short= 1}}</ref>

===Honorary citizens===
*[[Otto von Bismarck]] (1815–1898), chancellor, since 1872
*Friedrich Hermann Haacke (1824–1899), physician who dedicated his life to fighting against the [[cholera]] epidemics which affected Stendal in the 19th century. The Haacke-Brunnen, a well in the Sperlingsberg quarter, honours him
*[[Gustav Nachtigal]] (1834–1885), doctor and explorer in Africa. He is honored with bust at the Gustav Nachtigal Square

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Stendal}}
* {{Official website}} {{in lang|de}}

<br>
{{Cities and towns in Stendal (district)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Saxony-Anhalt]]
[[Category:Stendal| ]]
[[Category:Military facilities of the Soviet Union in Germany]]
[[Category:Stendal (district)]]
[[Category:Members of the Hanseatic League]]